It is okay to make mistakes. We all do it. When leaders mess up, the apology is a good place to start. But without a change in your behavior, just saying “I’m sorry” is not enough! The only way you can demonstrate that you are really sorry is by changing your behavior. When you do this, the people you have harmed know that you are committed to not repeating the mistake.

For several years I committed myself to making changes when I did stupid things. On my wrist, I would wear a thick rubber band. Every time I would do something dumb, I would snap it against my wrist to remind myself that I was committed to change the behavior. It didn’t take long until one of my students asked why I was wearing the rubber band and why I occasionally snapped it. I simply explained the purpose and continued teaching. Within the next few weeks I noticed several students wearing a rubber band on their own wrist. Modeling behavior is such a powerful tool!

Today, no every day, I encourage you to understand that even YOU, as the director, are permitted to make mistakes. Don’t try to hide it….they know. Just apologize and work on changing the behavior. Your students will be surprisingly gracious when you acknowledge the mistake and take steps to adjust. And if you need, I have a bunch of rubber bands I would be happy to share. Just sayin’!